Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Matthew 7:13-23/ paul washer

WOW! Watch a video sermon from Paul Washer tonight at church and I felt like he was putting words to the things I've been thinking lately! It was such an eye opener. Matthew 7:14 say "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." I think sometimes as Christians we forget the not just the gate is narrow but the road after the gate is narrow too. We are not just called to be saved as a one time thing then go back to living like the world. But it seams like churches in  America are full of people who pray one prayer then go back to being like the world. Later in Matthew 7 verse 21 it says “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Is this us? Do we cry out to God then go back to doing what pleases ourselves? When i walk into church i want there to be a difference then when i am in the world. I asked a friend to come to church tonight and you wanna know why she said no? She was tired of people say they are Christians and acting completely different! How messed up is that? But still it happens all the time. I know many people who at church play the church game, but then they leave the building and change completely. We are not just Christians on Sundays and Wednesdays, but everyday of the week. People, not just ones at church, need to see Christ has changed our lives, we are no longer our old selves and dead to sin, but we are new people made alive through Christ. If you back up to verse 17 on through 20 It says "Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." The questing should not be am i recognizable by my fruits, but what is being recognized? There is no if, there is only good and bad fruits. Do you look like the world? Do you talk like the world? Do you fit in with the world? Do you enjoy the world and the things in it? Or do you stand out in the world, because you are different in Christ? Do you read your bible often? Do you seek Gods will above your own? These things are your Fruit that people are recognizing you by, but more important you should be seeing these things in your self. I'm not saying over night you are going to become perfect and never want anything in the world again, but if you profess to have been a christian for a few years or even longer and you are seeing no change in your life, then you have a problem. Good trees have good fruit and bad trees have bad fruit. I find it so sad the number of people who pray "the sinners prayer", only read their bible if and when they feel like it, go to church like a good little christian, yet have no change in their live. This is not what the Bible says we must to to be saved. If you read Romans 10:9-10 says "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." You see it is not just an outward thing that makes you saved, it is the inward transformation. These two things go hand in hand. I pray that if it be his will that God would open the eyes of church people in America and show us how lost we really are.

Here is the link for the video sermon from Paul Washer.
http://youtu.be/3wX_BPopbKI
This will rock your world!

3 comments:

  1. Praise God Ashley! Praying that God will use you to speak as the days move ahead of these things and testify what God is doing! God is going to use you in a mighty way!

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  2. Wow! Thanks for sharing your insight,, very wise words up there. I am joining you in praying........wake up Church!

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  3. Way to write, Ashley! Thank you for sharing this!

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